State
Bird
Brown Thrasher
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The
Brown Thrasher is a songbird that is found in the southern United
States. It is known for its beautiful song, which is like a mockingbird.
It is about 10 to 12 inches long and is white with brown spots. Its
beak is sharp and pointy, and its breast is white with brown spots.
Its tail is reddish-brown, and its eggs are bluish-white and covered
with brown spots. It eats berries, fruits, and grains and builds its
nest in bushes, in brush piles, and on the ground. The Brown Thrasher
has so many bones in its neck that it is able to preen its own neck
and throat feathers. It was adopted as Georgia's state bird in 1935.
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State
Flower
Cherokee Rose
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The
Cherokee Rose was brought to Georgia from China. It is very thorny
and has leaves that are a bright green. The flower is pure white,
and its center is golden. There are five petals on each flower. It
blooms in the early spring, but if conditions are very good, it will
bloom again in the fall. Its name refers to the legend of the Cherokee
people who were forced to leave Georgia. Their tears helped the Cherokee
Rose to grow. The Cherokee Rose was adopted as Georgia's state flower
in 1916.
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State
Tree
Live Oak  |
Live
Oaks are shade trees found along the coast of the southern United
States. They can be as high as 50 feet, and have wide spreading branches
that can be as long as 70 feet wide. The branches are often covered
with Spanish Moss. The trunk is short, and the bark is bumpy and reddish-brown.
The long leaves are two to five inches long and feel leathery. It
can resist damage from storms and even insects. Once, ship builders
gutted out these trees and made ships out of them. The Live Oak was
adopted as Georgia's state tree in 1937.
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State Flag
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on flag to view
larger image.
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The
state of Georgia has a new flag that was adopted on January 31,
2001. It was designed by an architect named Cecil Alexander. The
background is a blue color called "Old Glory Blue." The state seal
is in the center of the flag. Inside the seal are the words "State
of Georgia." The border of the seal looks like a rope. At the bottom
of the seal is the date 1776. This was the year that the Declaration
of Independence was signed. In the center of the seal there
are three pillars. Above them is an arch with the word "Constitution"
written on it. Delaware was one of the 13 states to sign the United
States Constitution, which is an important document that explains
how our government works. The pillars represent the three branches
of our government that are explained in the United States Constitution:
the legislative, judicial,
and executive branches.
The three ribbons wrapped around the pillars say "Wisdom, Justice,
Moderation." This is the state motto of Georgia. Wisdom means knowledge,
experience, and good judgment. In other words, the person who has
wisdom is very smart, has learned things from experience, and almost
all of the time knows what's best in the world. Justice means the
system of laws and judgment in a country that has fair behavior
or treatment. Moderation means not too much, not too little. It
means just the right amount of something. These three words are
very important to the people of Georgia. The soldier standing under
the arch represents Georgia's military forces, which are ready to
defend the state motto.
There is a ring of thirteen white stars around the seal. They show
that Georgia was one of the original thirteen colonies.
Under the seal there is a yellow ribbon that says "Georgia's History"
and the motto of the United States, "In God We Trust." On the ribbon
you will also see five other flags that Georgia has flown. Two of
them are United States flags. Three of them are Georgia's old flags.
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